Rail-joint.



RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 19, 1914.

Patented 001:; 20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 1 l'ill III! III! F. SIWAK;

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1914. I 1,1 14,395. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

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FELIKS SIWAK, or EHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;AQSIGNOR or onn-ronn'ria TO SOFA SIWAK, ONE-EIGHTH TC. BENEDICT KELLER, I 1 TE-EIGfr- E -I TO'STANISTOW HATAJ'KE, ONE-EIGHTH TO PIOTR R'XENDRIGK, AND v GNE-EIGHTI-I 'lO' PAUL I-INATSZN, ALL 05 PHILADELPHIA, 'PENNSYLVANIEL RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of lettersl atent.

. Patented Oct. 20,1914.

Application filed March is, 1914.. Serial No. 325,861.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, FELIKS SIWAK, a citizen or the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin rail joints, and has for one objecttoiprovide means whereby the rail sections are held securely together without employing nuts or nut locks on the bolts. L

Another object is to provide improvements of this character whereby an improved spring-held wedge lock dispenses with the ordinary nuts and nut locks, and capable of securely locking thejentire series of tran verse fastening devices of the rail joint.

A further obj ect is to provide an improved locking device which automatically tightens the bolts. A

' H A. still further object is tov provide a simple, efiicient and comparatively inexpensive rail joint of great strength, and durability. I, With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawingszFigure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bolts 4. Fig.

4 is a section takenon the line 4- of Fig.

2. Fig. 5 is a. perspective view of a modified form of locking bar. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of bolt. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the locking bar illustrated in Fig. 5, in operative position. F 8 is a perspective View illustrating a tool used in connection with my improved rail joint. I

1, 1 are the meeting ends of railway rails 'which are connected by fish plates 2 and 3,

and bolts 4 pass through the fish plates 2 and 3 and through the webs. of the rails 5.

The fish plate 3 is provided with a longi tudinali'grooveio extending throughout its entire length, in which myinip'roved locking bar is adapted to slide. The boltse are square cross section and. project through registering openings in the rails and fish plates and are provided'at one end with enlarged heads 8, and their otherends' witlrslots 9. The locking bar 7 is located in the groove 6' and projects through the slots in all the bolts. In the present form illustrated, 'ifourybolts are used. The bolts are Slllllltll in constructionand therefore the description of one will suflice for all.

The locking bar 7 is, of general wedge shape as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and is of suflicient length to engag'ethe-entire series of bolts l. The walls of the slots'9, engaging the sloping edge of the locking bar 7, are at the same. angle, so that a good clamping action is exerted upon the bolts at,

and in turn upon the fish plates2 and 3, i 7

thus insuring, a tight joint. Oneend of the locking bar? is extended and made cylindrical in forinas" shown at 10, around which a spring ll ispositioned. The springis located between .a plate 12 atfthe inner end ofthe extension, and a washer-l3 at the I enter end of the extension. The washer 13 is held agalnst longitudinal movement by means oi ya pin 14: inserted in an'opening l5 in'the end of the cylindrical extension10.

Theplate 12 bears against the endoffishi plate 3, so that: thespring exertsa longitudinal pull on the wedge bar. Two slots- 16,16 are provided in the plate 12 to receive lugs 17 of a covering plate 18.- The end wall I 19. of casing 18' is bent outwardly as shown at 20, forming a lug. through which a pin 21 is adapted to'be positioned. The pin extends through theweb of the rail 5 and is held in position by means of-a'cotter pin 22.

By meansof this hoodor plate 18, the spring 7 11 is protected from the weather, yet the construction as explained, will permit the easy removal of the hood when dQSileClQ To prevent an accidental novement of the bar 7 I provide apin 23, positioned .inan opening 24; in the weh5 of the rail, and located at the extreme end of the bar 7 so that when the bar 7 is driven into position, and the pin 23 positioned, it will be impossible for the bar 7 to become displaced.

In operation, the bolts 1 are inserted in openings in the fish plates 2 and 3 and corresponding openings in the web 5 of the rail. The bar 7 is then positioned in the groove 6 of the fish plate 3. As the bar 7 is driven in the groove, it will be guided through the slots 9 of the bolts at, and will firmly clamp the two sections securely together. The plate 12- is then slipped 011 the cylindrical extension 10, until its inner edge engages the end of the fish plate 3. The spring 11 is compressed by means of the tool25, illustrated in Fig. 8, by placing the hooked ends 26 over the washer 13, and then resting'the end 27011 a tie, and pulling the handle 28. This will permit the pin 14: to be inserted in the opening 15. The lever is then removed and the hood 18 placed over the spring as described. The spring will exert a constant pressure on the wedge, insuring a tight clamping action at all times.

In the modification illustratedin Fig. 5, the locking bar 29 is provided-with a plurality of square openings 30, which are of a dimension large enough to permit the bolts 31 to project therethrough. The rear wall of each opening is provided with a recess .32, the side walls of which are at an incline to exert a wedging action against the walls 33 of recess 31 in the bolts 31. he outer faces of the bar29 at the openings 30 and recesses 32 are beveled or inclined as'shown at 35, and engage the beveledwall 36 of the recess 34 in bolts 31 as clearly shown in Fig. 7. A slot 37 is provided at the end of the bar 29 for a locking'pin, as described in the preferred form.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my in vention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination-with two rails located end to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails, and bolts extending through the rails and the fish plates, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails and operatively engaging all of the said bolts, and a spring around one end of said bar exerting pressure on the bar, sub.- stantially as described. I I

2. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails located end to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails, and boltsextending through the rails and the fish plates, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails and operatively engaging all of the said bolts, an extension on said bar, and a spring around said extension, exerting pressure on the bar, substantially as described.

In a rail joint, the combination with two rails located end to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails, and bolts extending'through the rails and .the fish plates, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails and operatively engaging all of the said bolts, an extension on said bar, a plate adapted to be positioned on the extension, said plate engaging against one end of one of the fish plates, and a spring around said extension, one end bearing against said plate and exerting a pressure on the bar, substantially as described.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails located end to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails, and boltsextend ing through the rails and the fish plates, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails and operatively engaging all of the said bolts, an extension on said bar, a plate adapted to be positioned on the extension, said plate engaging against one end of one of the fish plates, a washer on the extension, a pin, said pin adapted to limit the movement of said washer in one direction, and a spring around said extension, one end bearing against said plate, the other end against the washer, and said spring exerting pressure on the said bar, substantially as described.

5. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails located end to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails, and bolts extending through the rails and-the fish plates, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails and operatively engaging all of the said bolts, an extension on said bar, a plate adapted to be positioned on the extension, said plate engaging against one end of one'of the fish plates, a washer on the extension, a pin, said pin adapted to limit the movement of said washer in one direction, a spring around said extension, one end bearing against said plate, the other end against the washer, said spring exerting pressure on the said bar, a casing covering said spring, lugs 'on the said casing adapted to engage openings in said plate, substantially as described.

6.- In a rail joint, the combination with two rails located end. to end, fish plates at opposite sides of the rails and bolts extending through the rails and the fish plates,

slots in said bolts, of a wedge bar movable longitudinally of the rails, said bar projected through th-eslcts of said bolts, operatively engaging all of said bolts, an extension on said bar, and a spring around said extension exerting pressure on the bar, substantially as described.

1,114,395 I a p Q 7. In a rail joint, theoitnbination with around said extension exerting'pressure on two rails located end to end, fish plates at the bar, substantially as descrlbed.

opposite sides of the rails, and bolts eXtend- In testimony whereof ,I have signed my w ing through the rails and the fish plates, name to this specification in the presence 5 slots in1 saiil bolts,fa grooge in) one ofilzolie of tWo. subscribing Witnesses.

said fisl p ates, 0 a We ge ar mova e i i longitudinally of the rails in said groove, FELIKS SIWAK' said bar projected through the slots of said WVitnesses: bolts, operatively engaging all of said bolts, GEORGE SIWAK, 10 an extension on said bar, and a spring PAUL F. HNATSZN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, i

Washington, .D. G. 

